At events held during the 2017-18 academic year, the UGA College of Public Health and its various units recognized 39 amazing students, three dedicated faculty members, four remarkable alumni, four outstanding preceptors, and an international leader in fight against infectious diseases.
College recognizes faculty members for teaching, service
Two faculty members were recognized by the College for their exceptional work in teaching and service respectively. Dr. Kerstin Emerson, clinical assistant professor in the Institute of Gerontology, received the College’s Excellence in Teaching Award. Dr. Grace Bagwell Adams, assistant professor in health policy and management, received the Excellence in Research Award. Nominations for these awards are solicited from CPH faculty, students, and alumni.
CPH honors its student mentors
On April 26, the College and its students honored our exceptional preceptors at the annual Practice Advisory Group Awards Luncheon. Five individuals were honored with the College’s “Preceptor of the Year” Award. They were Phil Carpenter, emergency management and safety manager at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center; Beverly Losman, coalition coordinator of Safe Kids Georgia at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Liz Reimink, emergency management coordinator in Mason County’s Emergency Management Office; and Dr. Deep Shah, primary care physician at the Gwinnett Clinic. The Southwest Heath District 8-2 Summer Migrant Program received the Practice Advisory Certificate of Service Recognition. These student-nominated awards recognize outstanding preceptors and agencies whose effective service as mentors and teachers have guided UGA’s public health students. In addition, the College invited preceptors to nominate top public health students for the “Intern of the Year” award. The award winners were Diana Carey (MPH – EHS), Camilla Herndon (MPH – HPB), Stanley Huffman (MPH – HPAM), Bibiana Loza (MPH – DMAN), and Lani Ware (MPH – DMAN).
Delta Omega Honor Society inducts new members
The Beta Chi chapter of the Delta Omega Honor Society held its annual induction ceremony on April 20. Current members came together to welcome a select group of graduate students, alumni, and faculty into this national organization which recognizes and encourages excellence in the field of public health. The event’s honorary inductee was Dr. Sonja Rasmussen, CDC Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases and Director of the CDC Office of Infectious Diseases. Dr. Carolyn Lauckner, assistant professor of health promotion and behavior, was this year’s faculty inductee. Alumni inductees were Jesse Blanton (DrPH ‘17), Cody Dailey (MPH ‘17), George Khalil (DrPH ‘15), and Thomas Stevens, Jr. (DrPH ‘17). MPH students inducted were Kristopher Appler, Christopher Bland, Ruijin Geng, Camilla Herndon, Mac Kinnarney, Lindsey Parker, and Skarlet Velasquez. DrPH student inductees were Bill Potts-Datema, Zirka Thompson Smith, and Nolana Woolfork. Christian Marchello, a PhD student in epidemiology, was inducted as well.
Complete List of CPH Student Awards Winners for 2018
College-wide Student Awards
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia Foundation MPH Student Support Fund:
Ruijin Geng, Kasey Nichole Smith, and Arielle Jones
Stuart and Renée Feldman Health Disparities Awareness Award:
Tamar June
Student Inductees in Delta Omega Honor Society (Beta Chi Chapter):
Kristopher Appler
Christopher Bland
Ruijin Geng
Camilla Herndon
Mac Kinnarney
Christian Marchello
Lindsey Parker
Bill Potts-Datema
Zirka Thompson Smith
Skarlet Velasquez
Nolana Woolfork
Spring MPH Poster Presentations Awards:
Christopher Bland
Devann Kirkpatrick
Sai Nagula
Intern of the Year Awards:
Diana Carey
Camilla Herndon
Stanley Huffman
Bibiana Loza
Lani Ware
Bibiana Loza and Lani Ware, MPH students concentrating in disaster management, were both recognized as a 2018 “Student Intern of the Year.”
Departmental/Institute Student Awards
Environmental Health Science
Rowe Environmental Health Award – Abigail Jones
Environmental Health Science Scholarship – Devon Boullion
John J. Sheuring Award – Harris Jamal
Harold & Mary Barnhart Scholarship – Matthew Sutherland
The Randy Manning Award – Chelsea Cary
Outstanding Graduate Student – David Brew
2018 inductees to the UGA Chapter of the Epsilon Nu Eta, the environmental health science honor society.
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Ann and Tipton Golias International Travel Award – Ruth Wangia
Health Policy and Management
Outstanding Health Policy Student – Aishan Khan
Outstanding Management Student – Andrew Cross
Health Promotion and Behavior
Bernard Ramsey Outstanding Major – Abigail Price
Undergraduate Recognition Awards – Katharine Barry, Tristan Gerdes, and Saher Meherally
Undergraduate Service Award – Rhiannon Euhus and Audrey Smith
Outstanding Achievement, Graduate – Shantesica Gilliam
Excellence in Research, Graduate – Kwardel Lewis
Excellence in Service, Graduate – Camilla Herndon
Institute for Gerontology
Mary Ann Johnson Aging and Health Graduate Scholarship – Taylor Kennedy and Jessica Smith
Mary Ann Johnson Aging and Health Graduate Scholarship winners Jessica Smith (left) and Taylor Kennedy (right).
Congratulations to all of the College of Public Health award winners for 2018!
For photo galleries of our recent Spring recognition events, please visit the College of Public Health Facebook page.
Public health faculty, students honored across campus
CPH students and faculty members also received honors from various units at the University of Georgia during the 2018-19 academic year. Some of these achievements are highlighted below:
- Dr. Juliett Sekandi, assistant professor in EPIBIO, was selected to be a part of the 2018-20 cohort of the CTL Lilly Teaching Fellow Program. Now in its 33rd year at UGA, the program selects 10 tenure-track assistant professors for a two-year program of professional development, interaction, and engagement, particularly as pertains to best practices in teaching.
- Dr. Deanna Walters, an instructor and practicum coordinator in HPB, received the UGA Disability Resource Center’s Outstanding Faculty Award this past Fall.
- Chioma Kas-Osoka, a doctoral student and teaching assistant in HPB, was one of five graduate students awarded an Excellence in Teaching Award by the UGA Graduate School. Chioma was among 134 UGA students recognized with an Outstanding Teaching Award by the Office of the Vice President for Instruction.
- Environmental health science senior Samuel Taiwo was honored as one of UGA’s top 100 student employees on campus at the Career Center’s Student Employee of the Year Awards Luncheon. Sam worked with EHS associate professor Dr. Anne Marie Zimeri on the USDA-funded HARVEST Initiative, collecting farmers’ market produce and analyzing it for chlorinated pesticides and heavy metals.
- Health promotion major Wendy Vong was one of nine, fourth-year Cola-Cola First Generation Scholars honored at the annual Coca-Cola First Generation Scholars Dinner hosted by UGA. Vong was also recently awarded a 2018-2019 Fund for Education Abroad scholarship to study in Vietnam. FEA provides scholarships and ongoing support to students who are underrepresented among the US study abroad population.
- Jamarcus Harris, a dual degree student who will graduate with his BSHP and MPH in health promotion this summer, was inducted in the Blue Key Honor Society, a national organization that recognizes upperclassmen for all-around excellence in scholarship, leadership, and service.
– Rebecca Ayer
Posted May 3, 2018.
